ARV019: Precursor - Astrocyte (snippet) by Arvet

ARV019 / 17.06.22 Pre-save bfan.link/ARV019 Support the label and the artist via Bandcamp: www.arvetrecords.bandcamp.com Compelled by his fascination for the human brain, Dutch producer Quirijn Verhoog brings the modern sound of electronica to the Dutch music scene. Being a researcher in academia, Verhoog treats his music the same way as his experiments. In GLIA, he takes concepts from neuroscience and brings them to life in emotional electronic music. But it extends beyond that as his scientific experiments become an integral part in the process of creation. All science starts with experiments and GLIA was no different. Verhoog spent 3 months recording sounds from his collection of synthesizers to lay the foundation for the album. He then experimented with several sonic ideas to convert his academic research into sound. In the track miRNA, gene expression data from an experiment researching biomarkers was used to trigger and manipulate synthesizer parameters. The result of this integration formed the lead sound for the track. The vocals of miRNA were run through a granular synthesis program to fit the pattern decided by the original data. Besides direct coupling of data to sound, Verhoog also used sound to imitate biological processes, for instance in the track Myelin. “At the time I was beta-testing a module for a small French modular company. This module was able to generate random midi notes in odd sequences, where it was possible to adjust notes randomly from each sequence, kind of like a Turing Machine but in harmony. I thought this was a really fitting way to add sound to the concept of brain signalling, as this is also seemingly random from the outside, but at the same time the interaction between the neurons makes up an immensely efficient network” Each track in the album has its own story, some are about biology, others are more philosophical with themes touching upon nature and technology. One story in particular that is different from the rest of the album is “Human”. This track was made during the pandemic, where Verhoog recorded people from different ethnic backgrounds to chant words of connection and human interaction. Just days after the last recording the world went into full lockdown. Mastered by Daniel Rejmer Art by Sailor & I, cover adaption Pepe DSGN

Genre

Electronic